St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-26
Destruction by Fire Of the Opera Com
ique, the Oldest Playhouse in
the French Capital.
The Flames Suddenly Burst Ont on the
Stage During the Perform
anCe of "Mignon."
Mad Flight for Life by Those Engaged in
the Performance --- The Audi
ence Remains Cool.
Nineteen Bodies So Far Recovered, and
Many More Thought to Be Yet
in the Ruins.

PARIS, May 25.-The Opera Comique
took fire this evening and the whole
building was soon wrapped in flames.
Fourteen persons who jumped from the
windows are dead and forty-three in
Jured. 1t is probable many more were
crushed to death in the galleries. The
fire broke out during the first act of the
opera of "Alignon." One of the wings
caught fire from gas jet, and the entire
stage was Immediately enveloped in
flames. The fire soon spread to the
whole house. Nine. Mergvillier and
Mines. Tasquim and Bernard were on
the stage when the fire broke out. All
the actors ran out in their stage cos
tunes. The audience got out easily,
but the gas was turned off before all
left the building, and it is feared some
soon fell in, sending
SHOWERS OF SPARKS
as far as the Place de la Bourse. With
the exception of Nine. Seller, who per-
lShed, all the actors escaped, though
several supernumerarieS were injured
severely. Five ladies terribly burnt were
conveyed to the national library. Among
them was the body of woman clasping
a little boy in her arms, The money
receipts were saved and deposited iii the
Gaulois Office. The fremen showed the
greatest courage. M. NJ. Goblet, Thi-
baudIn and GragnOn were on the spot
soon after the fire started and
remained throughout with the
fire officials. The Military club
was of great assistance in the work
of rescuing people from the building.
Nineteen persons are known to be dead
Many OF these are SuperS. The arti-
ficial fire apparatus which had been
placed in readiness for the burning of
the palace in the second act,rolled down
from its place near the roof and ex-
ploded below. Women half clad, car
rying their costumes, fled from the stage
screaming. The supers and members
of the chorus were terrified. Some of
the latter fled with nothing on but their
tights. The flames spread with such IA
pldlty that Ill fifteen minutes the stage
was
A VAST FURNACE.
Several actors escaped by climbing to
the roof on the outside of the Rue Mari
vanta, where they were rescued by fire
escapes. M. TaXquin implored the
audience to remain seated until the
exits We're opened, which they did. If
they had made rush for the doors the
loss of life would have been terrible.
The police outside were unable to re-
strain the crowd who beSieged the build
ing inquiring for friends inside, until a
military Gordon was formed. One man
who wanted to rescue his brother
and sister raved, tore his hair,
the people stopped who him from rush
inig ntO the blazing building. The scene
outside was one of the widest excite
ment. The falling embers struck the
horses in the surrounding streets, caus-
ing them to plunge and rear. The
flames shot out of every window, fore
ing the crowd into the narrow streets.
where the crush was terrific. A fgur-
ante says there were $50 persons on the
stage when the fire broke out. She
heard the glass falling down like hail
storm but told the other girls not to
mind it. But while she was speaking
wings
WITH A ROAR
&n6all lusECd Iell-ml from the stage.
Many policemen were injured. 1t is
still unknown how many persons were
unable to escape from the doomed build
ing. Only fortnight ago M. Steen-
acker called attention in the chamber of
deputies to the dangerous condition of
the Opera COmIque, the oldest theater in
Paris. Figaro called attention to the
state of things after the recent twelve
hour benefit performance. The audi
ence was delayed few minutes by the
| dense smoke, and insufficient light. Di-
rector SOUL, with his wife and
two children, escaped without
| injury. The killed included four
firemen. There was no frantic rush in
| the theater, but it is believed the stair
case became blocked. The iron curtain
| was lowered in front of the stage, and
| this prevented the fire spreading imme-
dlately to the auditorium and allowed
| the audience time to escape. Many had
narrow escapes. Most of the casualties
so far reported were due to nervousness.
Persons who were unable to trust them
| selves to walk the narrow ledge of the
cornice round the building jumped off
| i'll terror. One woman coolly walked all
around the cornice while the flames
were bursting above until she reached
the fire escape. The victims are almost
all singers. The street in the vicinity of
the burned theater was crowded until
an early hour this morning. Doctors
attended many persons who had been
bruised. The latest estimate places the
number of killed and seriously injured
at sixty.